Carters Lake Fishing Report – May 2020

Carters: Level: Full pool. Temp: 65 degrees. Clarity: 6 feet.

Bass: Guide Bill Payne reports, “We have been catching quite a few fish on the Picasso Suijin tipped with a white Zoom Fluke up very shallow on points and other shallow flat areas. As we move into May, look for a strong topwater bite to come into play. Walking baits, like the One Knocker Spook and a Whopper Plopper, will work very well. Drop shots and shaky heads, like the Picasso Rhino heads, with green-pumpkin Softy Lures finesse worm worked around the offshore cover will do very well as the spawn is tapering and the fish are moving out. Pay attention to shaded areas. It is also a type of cover that often hold fish while they are up shallow. A good plan for early May would be to work your way out of spawning pockets targeting stumps and blowdowns with the shaky head or wacky-rigged Senko.”

Stripers: Guide Eric Crowley reports, “Stripers have been eating big baits early high in the water column. Fishing about halfway back in most of the creeks has been productive. I’m fishing water in the 15- to 35-foot range. If you’re marking fish and not getting bit, simply try stopping the boat and letting the baits swim freely. Worley, Fisher and Woodring all have small schools of roaming fish. If live bait isn’t your thing, the Captain Mack’s umbrella rigs will almost always draw the attention of a few fish on this lake. Adjust color for the day and start covering water. At 3 mph, you can really start to cover areas of the lake pretty quickly. As far as baits go, I only fish fresh caught bait. The alewife and threads are super thick this year. With a HydroGlow Light and a Humpback Cast Net, you will be on your way to fresh bait. Get there early, get the lights out and watch the sonar for clouds of bait. If you’re not catching what you’re after, move around a bit.”

Walleye: Guide Eric Crowley reports, “Walleye are heading back to main-lake points and timber to feed. Low light situations are always better, and that’s been true as of recent weeks. I like 10-lb. line, No. 1 hooks and a small split-shot with medium-sized live baits. Cast the baits over the fish, and let them sink down. Not all the walleye are on the bottom. A lot of fish are suspended quite a bit off the bottom, 6 to 10 feet sometimes. Bigger fish have been in 16 to 24 feet and moving up shallower at night.”

Read archived fishing articles on GON’s Carters Lake page.